Molding apparatus.



No. 783,034. Patented June 24, I902.

w. c. WRIGHT. MOLDING APPARATUS.-

(Application filed. Oct. 17, 1901.) (No mam.)

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' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM C. \VRIGHT, OF HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO DRAPERCOMPANY, OF PORTLAND, MAINE, AND HOPEDALE, MAS- SAOHUSETTS.

MOLDING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 703,034, dated June24, 1902.

Application filed October 17,1901. Serial No. 78,989. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM C. WRIGHT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hopedale, county of W'orcester, State of Massachusetts, haveinvented an Improvement in Molding Apparatus, of which the followingdescription, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is aspecification, like charac ters on the drawings representing like parts.

In that class of molding wherein the parting face of the mold isobtained by the use of a match which is mounted in and supported by asuitable frame it is now common practice to secure the pattern providedwith a proper gate to a frame which rests upon the top of thematch-frame during the construction of the drag, the pattern and gate atsuch time being supposed to rest firmly and truly in the correspondingdepressions in the face of the match. Frequently the match and patterndo not contact equally, as they should, and some portion or portions ofthe pattern will not bottom on the match, so that when the sand isrammed into the drag-flask the unsupported part of the pattern willyield and the completed drag will be imperfect by reason of suchdistortion of the pattern, The cope will also be affected by suchdistortion, so that the casting subsequently made from the mold will beimperfect, and when the pattern is drawn it will damage the mold,becausethe pattern has not in the first instance been accurately and equallysupported throughout by the match, and such damage must be repaired bycareful handwork or a new mold must be made. Inasmuch as the frameconnected with the pattern rests upon the top of the match-frame, itwill be manifest that any sand, grit, or other foreign matter betweenthe adjacent faces of the two frames will operate to prevent the trueand fair bottoming of therpattern on the match, witl1 the results beforementioned. Sometimes the ramming of the drag is not uniform throughout,so that the sand in some portions thereof will be harder than in otherportions, and when the cope is rammed the part of the pattern above theless compact portions of the drag will yield relatively to the otherpart of the pattern,

causing the production of a distorted mold. It will be manifest thatthis result must follow because the pattern cannot settle as a whole,owing to its rigid connection with the supporting-frame which rests onthe dragfiask when the cope is constructed. These and other practicalobjections to thisclass of machine-molding have caused great annoyance,expense, and expenditure of time in correcting the resulting faultymolds, and the imperfections of the apparatus and its mode of operationhave given rise to great dissatisfaction therewith.

My present invention relates to molding apparatus employed in thegeneral class of Work hereinbefore referred to; and it has for itsobject the production of novel and improved molding apparatus wherebythe objectionable features referred to are entirely obviated, theapparatus embodying my invention being also thoroughly adapted for theproduction of rapid and accurate work without the use of highly-skilledlabor.

The various novel features of my invention will be hereinafterdescribed'in the specification, and particularly pointed out in'thefollowing claims.

Figure 1 is a plan View and shows a match sustaining a pattern providedwith a vibrator extension and with guides on the latter in accordancewith one embodiment of my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan View of thepattern and its attached parts removed from the match. Fig. 3 is alongitudinal sectional view on the line 3 3, Fig. 1, but also showing invertical section a portion of the drag-flask. Fig. 4 is an end elevationof the superposed cope and drag flasks with the pattern in position, thevibrator extension being cut off outside of the flasks to more clearlyshow certain devices thereon to be hereinafter described; and Fig. 5 isa vertical sectional detail on the line 5 5, Fig. 4.

In the specification and claims I shall use the term drag to designatethe sand mold made in the drag-flask and the term cope to designate theother part of the mold made in the cope-flask.

The match A,composed of any suitable material and having in its upperface the configuration corresponding to the pattern cooperatingtherewith, is contained in a suitable frame comprising a bottom boardBand upright sides B, the match and its frame being of usualconstruction with the exception that in accordance with my invention theopposite ends of the match are cut away or recessed to leaveclearance-spaces b for a purpose to be described, said clearance-spacesbeing clearly shown in Fig. 1.

The pattern P of any configuration is shown as provided with a gateg,and this gate,herein illustrated as an elongated rigid bar, preferablyof metal, has attached thereto, preferably at both ends, what I havetermed vibrator extensions E, said extensions being shown as shaped toconstitute handles and detachably connected with the gate by suitablemeans, as screws 5, the inner end of each loop-like extension E having across-piece 6 provided with a foot 6', which, as shown in Fig. 3, isadapted to enter a suitable seat 9, formed in the gate.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 3, wherein the pattern is shown in position onthe match ready for the construction of the drag, it will be noted thatthe sides of the loop-like extensions pass through the clearances b ofthe match-frame and do not contact in any way with the latter, so thatthe pattern, its gate, and the extensions E are supported wholly by thematch, and if the pattern and the match correspond throug'hout,as theyshould, lhe former will be accurately and truly seated on the matchthroughout all its parts, and when the sand is rammed into thedrag-flask D there can be no distortion of the pattern or any partthereof, because it is uniformly supported at all points by the match.

The vibrator extensions are upturned between the inner and outer endsthereof, as at e so that the parts which project beyond the match-frameand also beyond the flasks during the construction of the mold areelevated above the general plane of the face of the match, as clearlyshown in Fig. 3, and each loop-like extension E is herein shown asprovided on its under face with parallel ribs 6 to constitute a guidewayfor a substantially F-shape guide 6, the depending portion of each guidehaving a bevel-sided recess 6 while the top or head of the guide islongitudinally slotted, as at e, to receive the shank of a set-screw ewhich is screwed into the extension. These guides are adapted to receivethe drag-pins d secured exteriorly to the ends of the drag-flask D, (seeFigs. 3, 4c, and 5,) so that when the latter is in position for theconstruction of the drag the said dragpins will cooperate with theguides 6 and also with guides a adjustably attached to supporting-platesa secured to the match-frame.

When the molder has rammed the sand in the drag-flask and has completedthe drag, the latter, with the match, is turned upside down in usualmanner and the match is lifted off, leaving the pattern and its attachedpartsnamely, the gate and extensions-in position on the drag andvertically supported wholly by the sand constituting the drag. For thispurpose the ends of the drag-flask are cut away or recessed to formclearances d, as best shown in Fig. 4, and similarly the cope-flask G isprovided in its ends with clearances 0, so that when the two flasks aresuperposed, as in Figs. 4 and 5, the loop-like ex tensions E willreceive no vertical support whatever from the drag-flask, nor can anyvertical pressure be exerted thereupon by or through the cope-flask.After the match has been lifted off, as hereinbefore referred to, thecope-flask is put in position on the dragflask and the drag-pins dcooperate with the cope-guides 0*, herein shown as adjustably supportedon plates or cars 0 rigidly attached to the cope-flask. Heretofore inthis class of molding apparatus, wherein the pattern has been rigidlyattached to a surrounding frame, the latter has had rigidly secured toit guides to cooperate with the drag and cope flasks, and when the fithas become faulty by reason of wear it has been an exceedingly diflicultand troublesome matter to correct the same.

In my present invention by making the guides 6 adjustable any loosenessdue to wear or otherwise can be quickly and readily compensated for byadjusting the guides on the extensions E by means of the set-screws 6This adjustment when necessary is preferably effected after the matchhas been removed from the drag, the molder at such time loosening theset-screws e and setting up the guides against the drag-pins to snuglyengage the same, after which the guides are secured in such adjustedposition by tightening up the set-screws. Manifestly the pattern willthereby be accurately positioned relatively to the drag, and when thecope-flask is applied it will also be positioned relatively to both thedrag and the pattern.

WVhen the sand is rammed in the cope-flask, it being remembered that thepattern is vertically supported wholly by the drag and independent ofthe drag-flask, it will be manifest that should any part of the sandforming the drag be less compact than other parts the pattern will tendto sink in the less compact part, but the pattern will sink as a whole,and thereby the bending or displacement of one part of the patternrelatively to another is obviated, and while the part of the pattern inthe drag may be slightly displaced it will be displaced as a whole,and/the completion of the cope will compensate for such displacement,and the completed mold will be perfect and will produce a perfectcasting. The cope having been completed,it is usual in machinemolding tovibrate the pattern while the cope is being lifted and also when thepattern is drawn, and for this purpose any suitable vibrator, as V, maybe connected with one of the vibrator extensions E, one well-known formof vibrator comprisinga piston rapidly reciprocated in a suitablecylinder by comrolof a vibrator extension connected with the pattern andwhich is exterior to the flasks the vibration can be readily imparted tothe pattern. I

I believe it to be broadly new in machinemolding apparatus to sustainthe pattern wholly by the drag independently of the dragiiask during theconstruction of the cope.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings,it will be manifest that if the pattern is true and the match is inproper condition it will be impossible to distort or bend any part ofthe pattern or the gate during the formation of the drag, because thepattern is supported wholly by the match at such time, and all parts ofthe pattern will be fairly and truly bottomed.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. In molding apparatus, a match and its frame, the latter having arecessed portion, a pattern provided witha gate and a vibrator extensionon the latter, the pattern, gate, and vibrator extension being supportedwholly by the match independently of the match-frame during theconstruction of the drag, the vibrator extension passing through therecessed portion of the frame and out of contact with the latter.

2. In molding apparatus, a match and its frame, the latter havingrecessed portions, a cooperatin g pattern, and oppositely-extendedvibrator extensions connected with thepattern and constructed ashandles, said vibra tor extensions passing through the recessed portionsof the frame out of contact with the latter.

3. In molding apparatus, a pattern and its gate, extensions on theopposite ends of the latter, projecting beyond the flasks during theconstruction of the mold, and drag and cope flasks having external meansthereon to cooperate with said extensions to position the pattern andflasks, the latter having clearance portions to receive saidextenstions, whereby the pattern, gate, and extensions, will besupported wholly by the drag during the construction of the cope.

4. In molding apparatus, a drag, and its flask, a pattern sustainedwholly by the drag independently of its flask during the construction ofthe cope, and adapted to be engaged exterior to the drag and cope flasksto be vibrated preparatory to separation of the cope and drag andwithdrawal of the pattern.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

l/VILLIAM C. WRIGHT.

Witnesses:

LINCOLN WRIGHT, GEORGE B. ARNOLD.

